Brad Paisley Calls on Fans to Help West Virginia Flood Victims

Brad Paisley has taken it upon himself to head up a fundraiser to aid victims of the recent massive flooding in West Virginia, his home state. The artist posted a heartfelt video on Facebook on Wednesday (June 29) showing himself playing “Country Roads,” a tribute to the state, then talking about the tragedy and what fans can do to help.

"As one of the celebrities from our state, I certainly have a responsibility to keep awareness up on this,” he admits.

Rather than doing a concert in the area right away, Paisley says he wants to raise money quickly and get it to the affected people, so his team has set up a GoFundMe page with a $1 million goal. The funds will go directly to Paisley’s foundation, which is distributed by the Wesbanco Trust in Wheeling, W.V. Every dollar will help with cleanup costs and supporting the victims of the flooding, which killed more than 20 people and left 44 out of 55 counties in states of emergency.

“It’s very important to me that this is done right, that every dollar goes there” Paisley shares. “We as a state are a very strong state. We have much love for one another. We band together in these times. We will get through this as a state. We can’t do anything about the loss of life or the pain, but the dollars we raise can replace all the things that were lost otherwise."

Paisley donated the initial $100,000 to the efforts, and fans have already raised thousands for the cause. If you’d like to donate, visit the fundraising site.